Brown



.Patented Aug. 8,1916.

2 suns-SHEET' 2.

1, Y 1f Lr Y To all whom it may concern:

WILLIAM Ii. sMii'rH-AND CHARLES C. BROWN, or Lenoir, NEW'YORK,-AssIGNORsfBY n MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, To THE PBINNEY imamElimina COMPANY, oF CHILL;-

COTHE, R10, A, CORPORATION or' OHIO. e

MACHINE FOR 'mimi/:ING STRINGBEANS,-&C.

'Be' it known that We,-W1LLIAM H. SMITH and CHARLES C. BROWN, citizens -of the United States, and residents of Le Roy, in thev county of Genesee and State of New Yorin' have invented al new and useful Improvement in Machines for Trimming String-Beans, &c., of .which the following is a specication. n. y

Thisinvention relates more particularly to a machine for trimmingor .cutting .off

the tip and butt ends of stringbea1is,fal` thoughthe Same may. also be used forY cutting Off opposite' endsof other articles, such as'ears of corn, preparatory to bushing the same, and the head and tails 'of fish before canning the same.

The object of this inventionl is `to provide a simple and efficient machine wherebysuehy .cutting or trimming may bejefiected keitpeditiously and reliably.

aisv

In the accompanying drawings consisting of 2 sheets: Figure l is a side elevation of our improved triinmingfmachine. .FigjQ is a top planyiew thereof. Fig.v3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation ofthe machine.

looking in opposite directions; .Fig is a fraffmentar i horizontal section on azien- .lai-ged scale; taken in line 6 6, Fig. 3. Fig.

7 is a fragmentaryside elevation, partly in section, showing a` modified construction of the means whereby the material is "held while being operated upon by thecutter.`

Similar letters `of reference indicate cor'- chine which may be ,ofl any suitable construction toproperly support the working parts of the machine. Hthintheuppr. partpf this frame is arranged an endless traveling belt o'r carrier. B which extends longitudinally of the machine andlzhas an upper operative Part and a. lower inoper-i.

ative part movable lengthwise and hor1z0`ntallyy in opposite; directions in the 'main frame. This belt is preferably constructed of chain links and passes with itsfr` ieivng and delivery parts around receiving ad de,

livery sprocket whccls'C, C which are.. secured to horizontal receiving and delivery Figs. 4 and are fragmentary `vertical transverse sections takenin vthe correspondingly numbered lines in Fig.k 3 `and shaftsvc, c1 journaled at `the rear and `front y Patented Aug. s, 1916-. g Appiicauonaiedmae18,1908. seriaiiio. 439,166.k Y V iss? ends ofthe frame. Motion may be imparted.'

to this belt formoving the same inthe direc` vtion-of the arrow 1 in Fig. 3by means ofaJ driving pulley D' secured to the deliveryj` hift, o1" and adapted to receive a driving e t. i

0n its outer side the carrying belt is pro-l vided Witha plurality `of 'pockets'V or holders E which arek arranged in a rows-side by sidey f lengthwise of the direction .Y of movement of the beltand secured transversely at in tervals to the same. Thesefpockets are preferably of concave. form in cross 'section with thehollow side facinggoutwardly and have4 .their ends open.A -.`The body of. each'` pocket isA preferably constructedof a piece Of'sheet metal -fwhich is 4bent into trough form and hasfits longitudinal edges e curled or rolled`r backwardly, as shown `in Figs. l and 3, thereby stiifening these edges and avoiding the presentation of sharp y.shoulders against whichthe material to be trimmed is liable to be` caught and interfere with alining theyy same in the pockets.

Any suitable means may beprovided for .18.0" delivering thermaterial to be trimmed into f the pockets at the receiving end ofthe carn rier. The meansfor this purpose which are shown in the rdrawings as an example, consist of a supply hopper or box .F secured to the front part of the. frame and having ar closed bottom f, side walls f1 and'frontwalls f2 while its top and front sides areopemran elevatoradapted to lift the, material from said hopper and consisting preferably of 'a forwardly-inclined endless belt G provided .move with its operative rear part upwardly T hese pulleys are mounted on horizontal shafts the side walls of the hopper-and are driven by meansfofa beltfl passing around pulleysV .with wings or buckets, g and adapted to h, lil which are journaledtransverselyvin i,- f/l on the shaft c1. of the. receiving sprocket wheelof the pocket carrier and the delivery A shaft h of the elevator, as shown in Fig.` 2.

the operative side ofthe.ele'vatorbelty moves upwardly vpast the'open 'rOntside' of `thelioppeig'its buckets engagefwith the maf Jtrial in ythe saine and `lift :parts thereof successively from the hopper. Upon reach ing the top of theidelivery pulley H'the material held by the buckets 1s discharged successively therefrom upon aninchne chute i which is `arranged between the front art. of the elevator and the receiving part o the -pocket carrier and which directs the 'lmaterial into the pockets at this place so that it lies lengthwise in the same or in a direction transverse' to the line of movement of the carrier.

After the material has been deposited by the feed device into the pockets of the carrier, it is first moved laterally therein in one direction, so that one end of the material projects beyond the respective end of the pockets ireparatoi'y to trimming or cutting off this end of the material. The preferred Ameans for thus shifting the material laterd ally in the pockets shown in the drawings comprise a rotatable brush J arranged above the path of the pockets and mounted on the horizontal shaft j which extends longitudinally of the machine and is journaled len hwise in bearings onthe main frame. he

`bristles of this brush are preferably ar- ,to project at 'one end beyond one end of the ranged spil-ally and the pitch or lead of the same is sucl that the lower parts of successive turns'or convolutions of the bristles engage with successive pockets of the carrier inthe manner of a screw, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and Si. The relative timing of the movement of the pocket carrier and `the shifting brush J is such that the pocket carrier moves forwardly at thesamc rate of progress as the spiral bristles of the brush, thereby causing the bristles to always engage firmly with the material in the pockets and prevent the same from being dragged or deflected out of theirgnormal operative position by the pockets.

In addition to the brush J an air blast is caused to impinge against the rear ends of the beans or other material in the pockets and assist in moving the same laterally in the pockets in the same direction in which they are moved by the brush J. This air blast is preferably directed against the beans by means of a. jet or nozzle Jl arranged at the right side of the path of the pockets and preferably adjacent to the rear end of the brush J and connected by a pipe 2 with the outlet of a fan J2, as shown in Figs l, 2, 4 and 6` This air blast operates on the beans just before they reach the brush J, whereby any beans which are liable to escape the shifting action of the brush J and are susceptible to the action of an air blast are shifted in the same direction in which the brush operates. f

The extent which the material is permitted pockets while being shifted by the' air blast from the no zzle J1 and action of the shifting brush J 1s limited by a'gage k which preferably consists of an .upright plate secured to the frame lengthwise along the outer ends of shifting brush J and projecting inwardly` over the adjacent ends of the pockets. After the material thus engages,` the gage plate k the same is carried forwardly by the pockets beyond the brush J to a cutter or severing device which operates to remove or so cut olf those ends of the material which project beyond the respective ends of` the pockets. The preferred form of cutter for this purpose which is shown in the drawings consists of two rotatable blades Z which sweep in a vertical plane across the path of the material between lthe respective ends of the pockets and the adjacent gage l: and which are mounted on a horizontal shaft L journaledtransversely in the adjacent part of the main frame. While being thus cut the material is held firmly against displacement in the pockets by means of a holding de vice which is arranged in front of the brush loo wardly the holding rollers or members en- Y gage successively with the pockets and the material in the same, thereby causing the' material to be held in the pockets at the time one end of the same is being severed by the cutter. The bodily rotary movement of the holding members is effected solely by engagement of the same with the pockets in the manner of chain and sprocket gearing, thereby dispensing with a separate drive for this purpose. In order to permit the holding members to automatically adjust themselves to the thickness or amount of material contained in the pockets, the same are supportedsoas to permit them to yield the required extent. One of the meansfor this purpose is shown in Figs. l and 5 and consists in mounting the shaft N of the holders at its opposite ends in the vertical slots nof guides a1 arranged on opposite sides of the frame and applying a yielding downward Apressure on this shaft by means of springs o connected at their lower ends with the frame While their upperends are ,connected with eyes or rings o1 embracing opposite ends of the shaft N.

y Instead of the construction shown inal 1,193,935 j j j Figs, 1 and 5` for yieldinglyholding the rollers in engagement with the pockets, that shown `1n Fig. 7. may be employed. In this last mentioned construction the shaft Nlof the holding device .ismounted in stationary bearings n? ontlie frameA and each holding gaging these bearings. .After one endof the materlal has been trimmedotf in the manner described, `they same is moi'ed laterally inthe pockets or transverselyvto the ldirection of movement of thecarrier by another laterally shifting devicewhich is constructed substantially like thefrst shifting device .and consists preferably of a rotary brush arranged lengthwise above the path of the pockets and beans therein `and yan air blast gage successively with the pockets and the material contained inthe same inf the mam nozzle or 'jet P1 arranged atfthe opposite side of the'path of the pockets and preferably adjacent to thek rear. end of vthefbrushP and connectedby a pipe P3 with ythe outlet The brush' I?v as'shoivn isr mounted on `ahorizontal shaft -p which ex tends longitudinally of the machineand is journaled lengthwise in bearings onI the upper part of the main frame. and` provided with spirallyr arranged bristles whichenner vof a screw thread. .The rotation, of the second brushand the trend ofitsbristles is kopposite to that ofk therst brush, so that the material engaged by the sam'e is moved laterally into a position in which it projects sweepthrough the spacebetween the loppo# site ends of the pocketsk and the second gagel beyond the opposite ends of the pockets and engages 'with a second gage plate le arranged lengthwisegopposite the .ends of the pockets where thesame are. beingy operated on by the second air blast and brush.y A'

second retaining plate Q is also preferably v provided which projectsinwardly from the upperl part of thesecond gage plate over the.

adjacent ends of the. pockets adjacent `to the place where thev material `is being engaged by the second brush so as toprev'ent the .respective ends 'of the material from rising or becoming displaced.-` After the material has been thus shifted toward the opposite ends of the `pockets the projecting ends y .pockets.\vliich are arranged m a row lengththereof are cut olf bya cuttergarranged in front of the linuslrl) and consisting pref-iy `erably of two rotatab'le blades rwhich and are mountedon a horizontal shaftjL1 vjournaled transversely' on the main` frame.

the pockets are being cnt `oil? the same is held against displacement in the pocketsby 'a 'holding device which is constructed substantially like the first holding device above an annular rowj of transverse lrollersgm2 adapted to' engage successively with the pockets and the*` materialfin'the same -while being `engaged kby `thesecond cutterl andr kmounted at v`opposite"endson arms m1 radi# y *ating vfrom a horizontal shaft N?, which is t journaled transversely in'bearings on the upper part not' the frame, said, shaft being gulded at its opposite ends in the vertical slots n? of guideways n on `opposite sides of` the frame and yieldingly held in itsjdedescribed and-,which preferablyconsistsof pressed position i by means of springs o3. The tip and butt ends which arecut ofthe beans brother matbrial` drop ongvopposite frontend of the machine, suitablereceptacles for the trimmings and finished matey Motion may betransmitted to the brushes journaled on ther main framefand connected by bevel caring o, al ywith .the brush shafts, a belt aroundpulleys a@1I on the shafts, V,V1,

' as shown Figs, 1 and 2.1 The means* for .driving the cutters may-also be var1ed,'that,

shownv in the drawingsbeing suitaeffor the purpose andy consisting of a'belt Ylpassf Ying around` ulleys y, y1 on the cuttershafts and a belt` on the shaft o the first cutter and the transverse shaft of the first brush.

We claim as our invention:

.80 f y Vsides of the carrier while the trimmed matei rial is discharged from the kpockets atk rthe' `passing' around pulleys'w, fwon g ythe shafts c, V and al cross `,belt X `passing 1. A `machine for trimming the ends ofv articles comprising a` plurality of movable pockets which are arrangedina rowlength'- Wise of the line (of `movement thereof and; which receive and support saldarticles in a" position transverselyto the llne of' move--v ment of the pockets, a rotatable brush hav-k ing its bristles arranged spirally and adaptf ed to engage successively with the articles inf p the pockets for moving` the samev therein transversely tothe line of movement of the pockets, and a cutter past whlch theartlcles are moved by said pockets for trimming olf 1,15 s

the ends of the articles.

2. A' machine for" trimming theuends ofy articles comprising `a plurality .of movable wise ofthe line of movement thereof and whichy receiveand support said articles 1n :imposition transversely to the line ofmovei ment ofthe pockets,y arrotatable brush havvVhile the opposite ends of the material in',y inthe pockets` forfmovin'g the same therein i a position transversely to the line of movement of the pockets, a rotatable brush having its bristles arranged spirally and adapted to engage successively with the articles in the `pockets for moving the same therein transversely to the line `of movement of lthe pockets so that said articles project beyond. the end of said pockets, a gage for limiting the transverse movement of the articles-in the pockets, a retaining plate. arranged above the gage in line with said brush and projecting inwardly toward said pockets, and a cutter past which the articles are moved by said pockets for trimming off the ends of the articles.

4. A. machine for trimming the ends of articles comprising a plurality of movable pockets which are arranged ina row length Wise of the line of movement thereof and which receive and support said articles in a position transversely to the line of move ment of the pockets, a rotatable brush l1aving its bristles arranged spirally and adapted to engage successively with the articles in the pockets for moving the same therein transversely to the line of movement of the pockets, means for `driving said brush com-A prising a longitudinal shaft to which the brush 1s secured and a transverse shaft `connected by gearing with the brush shaft, and

a cutter past which thegarticles are moved by said pockets fortrimming oil" the ends of the articles.- i

5. A machine for trimming the ends of articles comprising a plurality of movable y pockets which arearranged in a row lengthwise of the line of movement thereof and whichare adapted to receive and support said articles in a position Vtransversely to the line of movement of the pockets, means for shifting the articles in said pockets in a direction transversely to the line of move` ment of the pockets, a cutter past which said articles are moved by said pockets for trimming oil the endsA thereof, and means for holding the articles in said pockets While in the trimming position comprising a rotatable support and an annular series of rollers or hars mounted on said support :md adapted to successivelyenter said pockets and engage with the articles therein.

(i. A nnichinc for trinnning the ends of articles comprising a plurality 'ol movable pockets which are arranged in a row length wisc of the line of movement thereof and which are adapted to receive and support said articles in a position transversely to thc messes line of movement of the pockets, means for shifting thearticles in said pockets in a direction transversely to the line of movement of the pockets, a cutter past which said articles are moved by said pockets for trimming oli the ends thereof, and means for holding the articles in said pockets while in the trimming position comprising a transverse shalt, arms radiating from said shalt1 an annular series of rollers mounted on said arms and adapted to engage successively with said pockets, a support for said shaft which pen mits the same to move toward 'and from the path of the pockets, and springs connected with the shaft and operating to yieldingly draw said shaft toward said pockets. y

7. A machine for trimming the ends of articles comprising a plurality ol? horizon tal movable pockets which are arranged in a row lengthwise of the -line of movement thereof and which are adapted to receive and support said articles in a position transy versely to the line of movement of the pockets, rotatable means for shifting the articles laterally in one direction in said pockets, a cutter adapted to sever one end of the articles in the pockets yWhile in this laterali shifted position, rotatable means for shi ting the articles laterally in the opposite direction in said pockets, and a cutter adapted to sever the opposite'end of said articles in the pockets While in the last mentioned laterally shifted position.

8. A machine for trimming the ends of articles comprising 'a plurality of horizontal movable pockets which are arranged in a row lengthwise of the line of movement thereof and which are adapted to receive and support said articles in a position transversely 'to the line of movement of the y pockets, rotatable means for shifting' the articles laterally in one direction in said pockets, a cutter adapted to sever one end of 9. A machine `for trimming the ends ot articles comprising a plurality of horizontal movable pockets which are arranged in a row lengthwise of the line of. movement thereof and wh ich are adapted to receive and support said articles in a position transcrsely to the line ol' movement of the pea-hete,`

rotaiahlcineans for shifting the articles laterally in one direction in said pockets a cutter adapted to sever one end of the articles in the pockets while in the laterally shifted position, rotatable means for shifting lthe articles late-rally .inthe oppositev di# rection in said pockets, ajcutteradapted to sever the opposite end of said articles 1n the pockets while in the last mentioned laterally shifted position, gages which limit *the the same are being-operated on ,by the cutters. 1 y

10. 'A machme for trlmmlng the ends ot articles comprisinga movable pocket adapted toi'eceive and support"the articles in a position transversely tothe line of movement.

sure successively into opposite ends of eachk channel, separate snipping elements adja-p cent the pat-hsof the ends [of ythe channels,

for engaging the contents/of` `said channels 'when shifted by the jets, and means for maintaining the channels closedl during the reception of the jets. A a

`13. .A machine of. the haracter described comprising al supportrforthe' article to be Operated on, lluid pressure means `constructedy and operating to first-movefsaid article transversely yon said support in' one direc- `tion and then transversely iny the opposite il direction, and cutters arranged to operate `.successively von 4said article at opposite v ends "of the pockets, means for producing airfof its transverse movementunder.the action pressure against the articles inthe pocket for moving the 'same laterally therein, a rotatable brush arrangedadjacent tosaidair pressure producing means and operating to .move the artlcles in the pocket laterally 1n the same 'dueetifon 1n,n lnch...they are Which are at the front vof the lsamer when` ing devices, cutting elements adjacent the" paths of the ends of said devices', and oppositely disposed means for directing jets ot fluid under pressure successively interop-K` posite ends ofthe holding device A y 12. The. combination with anconveyer 71ncluding channeled holding blocks, of knoz-v zles for ldirecting jets of vfluid underpres-` of said liuid pressuremeansl operatedv on, fluid pressure means construct- 14. A` machine of the character.described com )risin a.' su n )ort for theartic'le to be l g Il ed and operating to first movey saidy article," f transversely on said supportin vone dlrec- 'f ytion and' then-transversely in the` opposite direction, means for successively arresting sald artlcle at opposite ends of its transverse *movement,1 and cuttersy arranged to operate ',successivelyjongsald article at opposite ends ot' its transverse-movement under the of said 4fluid pressure means.

action vour hands this 11th day of June, 

